Associate Partner - Business Development

Client of Ultimate Peaks Talent & Strategy; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 600,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Client of Ultimate Peaks Talent & Strategy seeks a senior BD professional to build a firm, not join one. You will work directly with the Founder & Managing Partner to originate and close search and advisory mandates with a clear path to Partner and profit share tied to revenue you bring in.

You will own relationships with CEOs, CHROs, boards across KSA and GCC, convert conversations into retained mandates, and co-lead delivery while growing the firm’s practice.

Qualifications

• 8-15 years in executive search, HR consulting, BD, or senior HR-related roles with external network.
• Real, warm network of decision-makers in Saudi Arabia; proven track record in selling retained or advisory services.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with tolerance for modest fixed pay upfront and upside later.
• Integrity, discretion with confidential C-suite mandates; fluent Arabic and English; Saudi national or GCC resident preferred.

Responsibilities

• Originate and develop relationships with CEOs, CHROs, boards across KSA and GCC.
• Convert conversations into retained search and advisory mandates.
• Lead proposals, pricing, and negotiation for engagements.
• Co-lead delivery on mandates won and manage client relationships.
• Represent the firm at industry events and on LinkedIn; grow the firm's brand with the founder.
• Help shape firm operations, tooling, and scalable processes.

Skills

Executive search

Business development

Client relationships

Negotiation

Job description

The opportunity

This is not a salaried BD job It is a seat at the table for someone who wants to build a firm not join one You will work directly with the Founder amp Managing Partner to originate and close search and advisory mandates with a written path to Partner and profit share tied to the revenue you bring in Compensation starts modest and scales with what you originate if you need a market-rate base before proving yourself this is not the role

What you ll own

• Originate new client relationships with CEOs
• CHROs
• boards and NRC chairs across KSA GCC
• Convert conversations into retained search and advisory mandates
• proposals
• pricing
• negotiation
• Co-lead delivery on mandates you win
• client management
• shortlist presentation
• offer stage
• Build sector or functional practice ownership
• e g
• logistics
• fintech
• PIF portfolio
• boards
• Represent the firm at industry events and on LinkedIn
• grow the brand alongside the founder
• Help shape firm operations
• tooling and process as we scale

How the deal works

• Modest base salary for the ramp-up period
• Commission on fee revenue you originate
• paid on client collection
• Clear
• written milestones to Partner title and profit share
• revenue thresholds not tenure
• Full transparency on firm economics from day one

What we re looking for

• 8 15 years in executive search, HR consulting, professional services BD, or a senior corporate HR/talent role with a strong external network
• A real, warm network of decision-makers in Saudi Arabia demonstrable, not aspirational
• Proven track record of selling retained or advisory services (or hiring senior leaders repeatedly through agencies and knowing what great looks like)
• Entrepreneurial risk appetite and runway: comfortable with modest fixed pay for the first 6 12 months in exchange for upside
• Integrity and discretion you ll handle confidential C-suite mandates from day one
• Fluent Arabic and English; Saudi national or long-tenured GCC resident strongly preferred